SPECIFIC AUDIENCE COURSE: TEACHING ENGLISH TO YOUNG LEARNERS (TEYL)
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, LINGUISTICS DEPARTMENT, AMERICAN ENGLISH INSTITUTE
Course Overview
English learners at the primary level (approximately ages 5-10) are cognitively “primed” to acquire language
skills in ways that lend themselves well to an integrated skills and content-based, experiential approach. The
educator who understands the cognitive and social processes of second language acquisition for Teaching
English to Young Learners (TEYL) is better equipped to help the learner navigate the processes of classroom
learning activities while also creating a fun, positive environment. In many cases, TEYL educators in English
as a Foreign Language settings have a limited amount of time to accomplish their teaching goals and meet
local requirements regarding the use of specific texts, tests or other materials. A low-resource environment
can also pose challenges. In this course, participants have the opportunity to explore solutions for such
challenges through an overview of current research and “best” practices (always context-dependent) for
TEYL plus hands on experimentation with a wide array of freely available online and local resources.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Identify, evaluate and selectively apply a wide variety of stimulating and age-appropriate materials
(e.g., read-along texts, audio, songs, video, hands-on manipulatives, games, puzzles, realia) to existing
or new EFL curriculum, tailored to learners’ needs and interests.

Effectively apply strategies for both motivating and managing classroom-based language activities
for young learners, with a “tool set” for rewarding desired individual and group behaviors.
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Conduct a needs analysis, develop a learner profile, and then develop unit/lesson plans which would
be appropriate for young learners in a specific local context. This may also include the amassing of a
collection of new resources and materials for strategic application to the local TEYL-related context.

Clearly articulate language learning goals and appropriately aligned measures to be able to justify
and evaluate any new approaches, activities and/or materials applied to local contexts.

Develop themselves professionally in the field of TEYL by participating in the new E-Teacher online
networking community and preparing materials to share in their local community of peers, parents
and other professionals.
Week 1:
Course introduction and orientation; ABCD learning objectives and measures; defining TEYL
in participants’ local contexts plus the wider world.
Week 2:
Cognitive development of young learners and the pedagogical impact on their language
learning environment; materials and resource evaluation; motivating and management
strategies. (To be threaded and continued throughout the following weeks as well.)
In the following weeks, participants form teams and—using templates, resource guides and
lots of creativity—lead the rest of the class in a round of resource and materials
exploration/evaluation, discussions around content and the application of pedagogy in
practical ways, finding solutions for local challenges plus the creation and sharing of related
lesson plans or local training plans. UO AEI faculty and guest speakers act as “guides on the
side” to help structure and facilitate this process.
Week 3:
Team A: Edutainment, making language learning fun. How are language learners motivated
to learn, and what helps make learning “stick” long-term?
Week 4:
Team B: Learning styles, differentiated instruction, universal design. “It’s not how smart you
are, it’s how you are smart.” (Howard Gardner). How does this “translate” into a TEYL
classroom?
Week 5:
Team C: Language in context and content-based instruction. How can we structure
“authentic” experiences for young learners and what outcomes can we expect?
Week 6:
Team D: Learner feedback techniques and formative vs. summative assessment for young
learners.
Week 7:
Team E: Survey of listening-speaking-vocabulary resources online and strategic applications
in TEYL.
Week 8:
Team F: Survey of reading-writing-grammar (literacy) resources online and strategic
applications in TEYL.
Week 9:
Team G: Teaching styles, administrative styles and local logistics. “…grant me the serenity to
accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to
know the difference.” (Reinhold Neibuhr). As a reflective and long-range planning
practitioner, how does this apply in my setting?
Week 10:
Wrap-up: Feedback; reflection; sharing projects and action plans; forward planning.
Connectivity permitting, participants will report on the local dissemination of their work and
their future plans in small group synchronous sessions (e.g., with Skype or a similar audiovideoconferencing technology).
Course Requirements for Certificate of Completion
This class is Pass/No Pass. Participants receive a final score (maximum = 100%) at the end of the course.
Participants with a final score of 70% or higher will pass the course.
Grading criteria for the course will be weighted as follows.
30%
Participation in asynchronous weekly discussions, including the posing of local challenges related to
working with tweens and teens and helping others find solutions to their challenges.
40%
Team-work and leadership during the 2-week period and topic of choice, including a reflective writeup on the 2-week team planning, implementation process plus outcomes.
30%
Final project plan (e.g., a collection of lesson plans, materials/resources, training materials, etc.) for
local application. Must include timeline, roles and responsibilities of all who will be involved, and a
clear set of goals plus measures.
Sample Materials and Resources
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U.S. NIEHS, http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/ and songs http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/songs/
EdPubs, U.S. Department of Education, free online publications, http://www.edpubs.gov/
Gateway to 21st Century Skills, http://www.thegateway.org/
Celebrate! Holidays in the USA, http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/resourceset/celebrate.html